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There was very little chance in Jay Triano's mind that his fellow NBA coaches would overlook Raptors forward Chris Bosh as one of those deserving of being added to the NBA Eastern Conference all-stars as a reserve last night.

And Triano was not disappointed.

Word came just after 7 p.m. that Bosh would be representing the Raptors at the all-star game for a fourth consecutive year.

But truth be told, either way, Triano was in a no-lose position.

It might have hurt Bosh's pride not to be chosen an all-star, but as his coach, Triano always could look at the bright side and focus on the rest Bosh would get.

The upside to Bosh's selection is that he will be re-uniting with a number of his U.S. Olympic gold medallist teammates in Phoenix from Feb. 15-17 and there's no denying the impact those associations have had on him.

It was only three months ago that Bosh was playing at such a heightened level that he felt comfortable declaring himself a MVP candidate.

But for a number of reasons -- injured teammates, coaching changes, personnel changes, perhaps even fatigue after the summer-long commitment to the Olympic program -- Bosh's numbers fell off in December and January.

Who is to say that being reunited with some of the members of the Redeem Team from Beijing won't have the same impact again?

Bosh certainly isn't ruling it out.

"Really when you play with guys like that, I mean we all have a gold medal now, so now what separates us?" Bosh asked. "I'm going to be playing you this season and you and you and I want to have something to talk about too. That's what it's about. It's healthy competition."

Triano has seen the impact being around fellow all-stars has had on Bosh and he's all for it.

"These are guys he had a great experience with in winning a gold medal," Triano said. "Friendships were made. I think they motivate each other to get better and to be better. I think going there for the weekend will be good for him. It's not like the practice will tire him out. It's not like the game is going to do a whole lot. It's the travel and the other things but the things around the game and the camaraderie with some of the other players involved in the game are some of the things that are sometimes enough of a motivation to make you play better."

Bosh says the Olympians have no formal plans to get together in Phoenix but he's expecting something will materialize.

"I'm sure something will be done with Mr. (Jerry) Colangelo being down there (in Phoenix)," Bosh said. " I mean that's his city and all so I'm sure he will say something and try to get the guys together."